Employers are from Mars, young people are from Venus

There is a distinct mismatch between the expectations of employers and young people in the recruitment process, recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research has revealed.

This conflict of understanding hinders entry to the labour market for young jobseekers and contributes to high rates of youth unemployment, the institute has warned.

It also fuels a “ticking time bomb” of skills shortages for UK businesses, who might be unwittingly limiting their access to a diverse pool of talent in the 16-24 age group.

The report available here identified a number of flash points that hindered young people from finding work, which included the “vicious cycle” of employers asking for workplace experience for entry level roles.